Catholicism

Marcie Sillman talks to Seattle P.I. reporter Joel Connelly about Father Harry Quigg, a priest who kept ministering despite being suspended for sexual misconduct in 2004. The Seattle Archdiocese announced earlier this week that Quigg had an on-going relationship with a 17-year-old.

Mary Dispenza came out of the closet more than 20 years ago. At the time, the former nun was directing pastoral nun services at the Seattle Archdiocese. Once Mary came out as gay, the church wouldn’t let her keep her position for long. Dispenza said that watching the gay vice principal of Eastside Catholic High School has been painful, and, after 20 years, a little too close to home for comfort.

A shooting at the Navy Yard in DC and a fatal stabbing in Seattle's Pioneer Square again raise questions about public safety and mental health care. Seattle's race for mayor sees a new round of polling and endorsements. Plus, Pope Francis says Catholics need to find "a new balance" on issues like abortion and homosexuality. What stories were you following this week?

Compensating The Wrongfully ConvictedImagine you’re wrongfully convicted of a violent crime and sent to prison. After many years, you’re exonerated by DNA evidence and released. When you leave prison, you get zero compensation from the state for the time you spent in jail. That used to be a probable scenario, but thanks to a new law that went into effect on Sunday, people wrongfully convicted of crimes are now allowed to file a claim for damages up to $50,000 against the state. We talk with Alan Northrop, who was convicted of rape, burglary and kidnapping in 1993 and exonerated and released from prison in 2010.

Former President Carter Plans North Korea TripFormer President Jimmy Carter is reportedly planning a trip to North Korea. The White House confirmed Carter’s plans on Monday. He’s expected to try to win the release of Kenneth Bae, the Lynnwood man sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for “committing hostile acts” against the North Korean government. We talk with Professor Charles Armstrong of Columbia University about Kenneth Bae and the delicate dance of diplomacy with the North Korean regime.

The Pope's Performance AbroadPope Francis spent his first week abroad in Brazil. When asked about homosexual clergy, Francis said, "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" What did Francis reveal about his character and agenda during his travels? National Catholic Reporter's Jamie Mans on and Father Paul Janowiak of Santa Clara University join us.

The Weather And Hike Of The WeekMichael Fagin suggests a hike that matches the week’s weather forecast.

Gay people should be integrated into society instead of ostracized, Pope Francis told journalists after his weeklong trip to Brazil. Answering a question about reports of homosexuals in the clergy, the pope answered, "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?"

In what's being called an unusually broad and candid news conference, Francis took questions from reporters for more than an hour as he flew from Brazil to the Vatican; his plane landed Monday.

In the mid-1980s a dynamic young monsignor assigned to the Vatican’s embassy in Washington set out to investigate the problem of sexually abusive priests. He found a scandal in the making, confirmed by secret files revealing complaints that had been hidden from police and covered up by the Church hierarchy.

Meanwhile, a young lawyer listened to a new client describe an abusive sexual history with a priest that began when he was ten years old. The lawsuit he filed would touch off a legal war of historic and global proportions. Ross Reynolds talks with author Michael D’Antonio about his new book "Mortal Sins," which reveals this long and ferocious battle for the soul of the largest and oldest organization in the world.

What happens behind the scenes at the Vatican? Journalist John Thavis has covered the Vatican for almost 30 years, and he hopes to offer insight into its power and politics in his new book, “The Vatican Diaries.”

Thavis was in Rome when Pope Benedict XVI resigned and when Pope Francis was elected. He spoke at the Elliott Bay Book Company on April 7, 2013.

As a former Dominican nun in the Roman Catholic Church, Annette Spaulding-Convy is intimately aware of the complex messages the institution sends about women's bodies. Her poem "Bonsai Nun" finds an apt metaphor in the severe pruning required to make a tree fit the aesthetic and spiritual ideal.

An historic conclave to select the new pope begins today. One hundred and fifteen cardinal-electors will vote one by one to select the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church. It's the first conclave in 600 years to take place while the previous pope is still living. What's the mood in Rome right now? Writer Tiffany Parks joins us live from St. Peter’s Square to explain the conclave process and which candidates have Rome buzzing.